


Dear Tommy

by Guardian_of_Hope



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers in Space
Genre: Angst, Letters, Several characters are mentioned, Tragedy, canon character death, mentioned oc character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-07-20
Updated: 2009-07-20
Packaged: 2017-10-19 05:09:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/197247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guardian_of_Hope/pseuds/Guardian_of_Hope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tommy receives five life changing letters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Five Letters

_During: There's No Business Like Snow Business: (AKA The Letter)_

__  
**Dear Tommy,**   


__  
**Everything is going great here in Florida, Coach Schmidt has me as ready as I'll ever be for the competition.**   


That's my girl; she'll smoke everybody at the competition. Not only will she be the most beautiful, but she'll have that fire, the one that made her such a great Ranger. People will notice her, because she isn't meant to be ignored.

__  
**Tommy, this is the hardest letter I've ever had to write,**   


What's she talking about, she knows she can tell me anything and I'll still lover her. I tell her that every time I write her. I want to hear what's going on, how hard it is and everything. Oh God, I hope she's not sick!

__  
**You've always been my best friend and in some ways you're like a brother**   


A _brother_ , how can I just be a brother to her? Brothers don't do…what we did. That's just wrong, and she's never been like a sister to me and she knows it. She sure didn't kiss me like I was her brother.

__  
**But something has happened here that I can't explain, it's been both wonderful and painful at the same time.**   


Yes, tell me, what could have happened that made me your _brother,_ Kim, please. I wait with baited breath.

__  
**Tommy, I've met someone else.**   


Oh God, oh God, oh God.

__  
**Tommy, you know I would never do anything to hurt you but I feel like I've found the person I belong with.**   


What about me? What did I do? I thought we belonged together!

__  
**He's wonderful, kind and caring.**   


Wasn't I? Didn't I go shopping with you, bring you flowers, and take you to places you said were romantic? When you had a bad hair day, didn't I tell you that you were still beautiful? And I knew to never ever tell you that your butt looked big in jeans? What did I do wrong?

__  
**You'd really like him.**   


No I don't, I hate him. I don't know who it is, but I hate him. I hate him for have you.

__  
**Everything would be perfect if it weren't for hurting you,**   


Because, of course, hurting me is the big worry here. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Go be perfect, don't worry about me lying here with my heart ripped out of my chest.

__  
**But I have to follow my heart.**   


What heart? The one you took from me?

__  
**I will always care about you, Tommy.**   


I don't care if I am a Power Ranger, there's only one answer to that, Bull Shit.

__  
**Please forgive me.**   


__  
**Kimberly**   


I can, and I can't, I hurt and I'm angry. I don't know what to say, or think, or do. I gotta go, I gotta be alone. Don't look at me like that Adam. No, Tanya, I'm not going to talk to you right now. Just LET! ME! GO!

* * *

_During Lightspeed Rescue Era or Two Years After Countdown To Destruction..._

__  
**Dear Tommy**   


We've never met, why the hell is he writing me? Is he trying to tell everyone who I am? And why is he writing about _this_ ; stripy-haired idiot.

__  
**I am writing this to tell you about Zordon.**   


Tell me what, that he's dead. Too late for that, I already knew.

__  
**About how he died, and why.**   


This aught to be good, I'd love to hear his excuse. Was it an _accident?_

__  
**It's hard for me to write this, knowing how close you were with him.**   


Really? Do you know? Why are you writing this, because you think it will absolve some of your guilt for losing Zordon?

__  
**I went to the Dark Fortress to save my sister, Karone. Dark Specter turned her into Astronema.**   


Yes, because I'm going to feel instant kindred with her. I may have been evil but I didn't have a choice!

__  
**Zordon was there, and he told me that he needed me to shatter his tube, that only his magic could stop the war.**   


There were other ways; there is always more than one option. Any of us could have told you that.

__  
**I told him there was another way, but he said there was not.**   


Yeah, right. Of course you argued with him. You didn't find your better way.

__  
**Before we could argue anymore, Astronema attacked me.**   


Yeah, blame the evil one that works. It doesn't matter 'cause you still killed Zordon, and that's murder so far as I know.

__  
**We fought, until I rebounded a levin bolt back at her, knocking her unconscious. Ecliptor attacked me then.**   


Whoop de do, you fought Astronema. That's nothing to brag about kid. Neither is Ecliptor for that fact.

__  
**While we fought, Zordon insisted that I shatter his tube.**   


Of course he did, he probably just told you to do it. You just did what he told you to do and you never thought of disobeying. I miss the old days; we defied Zordon plenty of times! Especially when there was a better way.

__  
**I didn't want to do it, but then I realized that if Ecliptor killed me, my team wouldn't stop until they avenged me, and the UAE won't ever stop.**   


That makes sense. Dammit Andros, you aren't supposed to make sense. I'm supposed to stay mad at you. And curse you, Tanya, for making me read this again! Why can't I just hate Andros in peace?

__  
**Even Zordon's magic could only grant a reprieve.**   


Ha! See, I told you, there was a catch here!

__  
**A reprieve that could let us heal, and to train Rangers and equip them better; and, it would be a chance for Ashley.**   


And again, I feel almost sorry for you. I just wish I could hate you in peace. What if I want to be a bitter old man? And why the hell won't anyone tell me what was wrong with Ashley? Kat kept giggling when I asked, and nobody else gives me an opening to ask.

__  
**But I did it, I smashed Zordon's tube. I accepted Zordon's sacrifice because it was the right thing.**   


Damn you Andros, stop making me like you.

__  
**Zordon gave you peace, Tommy, as he did each of us.**   


Yes, he gave us peace, but at a cost too high for any of us to bare. We would rather fight a hundred years than have lost Zordon. Why couldn't Zordon see that, if you could not?

__  
**Can you forgive me?**   


Not now, it hurts too much. Two years and it feels like it happened this morning. Give me a bit longer. I hate when Tanya's right. I can't hate Andros, but that doesn't mean I like him yet. Stripy-haired bastard who got _his_ girl.

* * *

_During Wild Force, after Forever Red_

__  
**Dear Tommy,**   


__  
**I know that you've heard that I was getting married.**   


Of course I've heard, everybody in the world's heard. It's like, the Great American Scandal, some Australian ballerina marring one of the richest heirs in New York. Every paparazzo in the world is looking for dirt on you.

__  
**I would have sent you an invitation but you make Carl nervous.**   


And that's because he's a spineless chicken. I remember how you begged me to keep your martial arts skills under lock and key when I visited. _He doesn't believe in fighting,_ you said. How does it feel to know that you'll be the one fighting anybody who breaks in?

__  
**He doesn't like the fact that I'm still in close contact with you, my ex-boyfriend, much less that we are best friends.**   


Please, the guy's afraid because I can break him in two and he knows it. He also knows that if he ever hurts you, I would kill him. I'm sure I still give him nightmares after that little _talk_.

__  
**I wanted to invite you to my wedding, but out of respect for my fiancé, I will not.**   


Yeah, and I wouldn't go anyway, I know me. I'd get drunk and then fix that guy's nose job. And you can't convince me that it's real, no nose can be that straight and pointy without surgery.

__  
**Please, forgive me. As much as I care for you, I love my fiancé more than life itself.**   


I forgive you, Kat. You deserve to be happy, even if I think he's a rat faced snob who would have folded under Putties, much less a Z-Putty.

__  
**He makes me happy in a way that I haven't been since…you know.**   


Yeah, I know. We all carry those scars. That's the only reason you got my blessing on this. Carl makes you smile, like you did right after you started diving again. I may not like him, but he makes you happy and for that, I will tolerate him.

__  
**I wish we could have made it, Tom.**   


You and me both, Kat, you and me both. At least then, I wouldn't have to date random women who can't possibly know my secret. Sometimes, love isn't everything.

__  
**You were right; we would have had beautiful children.**   


__  
**Katharine**   


You could never have ugly children, Katharine; I'm just not sure about that nose…

* * *

_August 1, 2007  
(I have never seen one of these letters, so I made it up.)_

**  
_Mr. Oliver;_   
**

First off, it's _doctor_ , I worked hard for that degree. Secondly, I didn't know a letter could convey contempt in two words. I've done my fighting, you assholes, and I did it in spandex. None of you have to wear spandex; do you know how hard it is to keep a figure? Spandex shows EVERYTHING.

**  
_We regret to inform you that Major Samantha Oliver died in combat on July 19, 2007._   
**

Fuck. No, can't swear, there are little people about. Shit, it's my head so I'll say it. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!

Why me? What did I do in some past life to lose Sam? I thought I'd built enough Karma that she'd get back safe. It was two weeks! Two weeks and she'd be back to play with the kids and maybe we could have had another and she'd never need to fight again. She promised she'd come back, why can't she come back?

**  
_Her heroic efforts will be remembered forever._   
**

Bull. You don't even know Sam, she hated to be called Samantha, and she doesn't need to be remembered, she needs to be here. She has a family waiting for her.

**  
_George W. Bush_   
**

**  
_President of the United States_   
**

Fucker, this is all your fault. She wouldn't have been in Iraq if you hadn't decided you wanted it added to your delusional empire.

* * *

__  
**Dear Tom,**   


The kids are at mom's, and I got a whole bottle of Dendarian Fire, let's do this.

__  
**If you're reading this, then I died in combat.**   


No shit, Sam. I told you, I hate cliché letters.

__  
**I'm sorry, I promised I'd come home, but it looks like someone else had other plans.**   


Yeah, they did. Suicide bombers are so inconsiderate. They never consider that someone else might have plans, right? I'm drinking to much.

__  
**I have so many things I want to tell you.**   


Right, come home and tell me. Why am I reading this again? Oh, right, because of the yellows. *Shudders* Yellows are scary. Keep reading to avoid the scary yellows.

__  
**But first, Doctor Oliver, stop it.**   


Stop what? What did I do?

__  
**I know you, and I know after Kim, you don't show emotion when things go wrong.**   


Of course not, why should I? It embarrasses people when you fall to pieces in the mall and you see your new ex-girlfriend's favorite store. Crap, I'm drinking too much. I'm talking out loud to my letter.

__  
**So you're pretending to be angry with everyone, except Lexi and Leigh, I hope.**   


Pretending to be angry? I'm not pretending; I'm mad at everybody. Ok, well not Lexi and Leigh, because they're too young and cute to be mad at. And Jason, he gave me alcohol. And Zack, and, hell, I'm not angry at anybody I know. Dammit, why does she have to be right?

__  
**What happened was bad luck and bad timing. I should have ducked, right?**   


Yes, I told you, you can't get shot if you can't be seen. But no, you had to go and get blown up instead!

__  
**I chose to fight, and I chose to do so knowing I'd be headed to Iraq, and I don't regret that choice.**   


You don't, but I do. I do, I always will, always have. I had to fall for a soldier girl. What did dad say? Yeah, I saw the uniform and stopped thinking, but hey, I loved all of you, especially what was…ahem, no more drinking.

__  
**The second thing is I need you to look after Lexi and Leigh.**   


I will, I promise, I will never abandon them.

__  
**You know they won't eat their vegetables if you don't hound them, so I expect you to do the work that I used to.**   


You're dead and you worry that the kids won't eat their vegetables? That's my Sam, always the original.

__  
**Do the dishes, the kids shouldn't be afraid of stuff growing in the sink.**   


Hey! I do the dishes. Just because I didn't before we started dating doesn't mean I'm going to stop now!

__  
**And laundry, don't worry about socks, when they can't get together enough pairs, just buy more.**   


That dryer eats socks. Damn, I have to buy socks. No, I have to read this, can't forget the scary yellows.

__  
**The third thing is, well, Tom, I swear, this is a secret I'm taking to my grave.**   


What secret? What do you know? What could you possibly have kept from me, we told each other everything!

__  
**I know.**   


Know what?

__  
**I know why you have five different favorite colors.**   


Oh.

__  
**I know why you keep in touch with four of your first students.**   


Shit, I'm going to kill Conner.

__  
**And I know why Carter Grayson calls you up on occasion, to 'talk'.**   


Screw that, I'll just kill Carter. I told him not to call me.

__  
**I never said anything, because you were so focused on keeping it a secret,**   


Damn straight, ah, Baby Girl, only you. Only you.

__  
**But I felt that in this one letter I can finally tell you the truth.**   


Thank you. Thank you for trusting me when I didn't trust you.

__  
**I will love you, and wait for you;**   


__  
**Always and always;**   


__  
**Sam**   


Always and always, Baby Girl, always and always.


	2. Five Letters

The letter had been shoved into the mail slot and was stuck there. Carefully, Tommy eased it out, to reveal a homemade envelope. Written on the front was _**Daddy, Our House**_ _,_ with a drawing where the stamp normally went. Tommy turned the envelope over and fished out the contents. It was a letter.

__  
**Dear Daddy;**   


__  
**We love you.**   


__  
**Always and always;**   


__  
**Lexi and Leigh**   


Tommy looked up to see two faces peering through the railing on the stairs. Heart-shaped faces with pert noses and huge blue eyes. "Come here," he said softly. They smiled and hurried down the stairs, jumping off the third step and into his arms. "Always and always," he murmured, burying his face in Leigh's curls as his hands supported the twins.

"Always and always," Lexi said, his head resting on Tommy's shoulder.

"Always and always," Leigh said around her thumb.


End file.
